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Navy's robust rushing game will challenge Temple

Navy football coach Ken Niumatalolo didn't linger long on the Midshipmen's hard-fought 34-17 loss to Ohio State in the season opener Saturday.

Navy running back Ryan Williams-Jenkins. (Tommy Gilligan/USA Today Sports)
Navy running back Ryan Williams-Jenkins. (Tommy Gilligan/USA Today Sports)Read more

Navy football coach Ken Niumatalolo didn't linger long on the Midshipmen's hard-fought 34-17 loss to Ohio State in the season opener Saturday.

"We played a great team that we couldn't afford to make mistakes against," Niumatalolo said Wednesday by telephone. "We had to be perfect against them and we weren't. But we feel good moving forward."

The Midshipmen will face Temple (1-0) in the Owls' home opener Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field.

Against Ohio State, they saw a fumble returned 61 yards for a touchdown. Later in the game, they allowed receiver Devin Smith to get behind their two-deep coverage for an 80-yard TD.

But Navy worked its triple-option offense to perfection, something it has been doing ever since Niumatalolo joined the coaching staff in 2002. He was named head coach in 2008.

Navy, which will join the American Athletic Conference next season, gouged Ohio State for 370 yards rushing. And it was not a fluke.

Last season, the Navy offense averaged 325.4 yards rushing per game, second best in the nation. Despite the intricacies of the offense, Navy finished tied with Louisville for first in the country with just 13 turnovers. Since 2002, the rushing attack has finished first in the nation five times. During that span, it has never finished lower than sixth.

"It's no secret that we like to run the football and be physical," Niumatalolo said. "But we can throw the ball when we need to."

Junior quarterbackKeenan Reynolds has proved to be lethal in two seasons, etching his name into the record books. As a sophomore, he broke the Navy scoring record that had stood since 1917 with 188 points. He also set the school record for most touchdowns (seven) and points (42) in a game. In addition, he eclipsed the Midshipmen record for 200-yard rushing games in a season with two in 2013.

Temple coach Matt Rhule gathered the Owls at their practice facility on Saturday to watch the Midshipmen take on Ohio State. He left the viewing session impressed.

"There is no greater challenge for us right now than to play a team like Navy," Rhule said. "They are as skilled as any team we will face and they have an aggressive coach. Our kids know that this is a team that is committed to precision and execution. They know this is a very dangerous team."